elliot



v 0. ELLIOT'. MAUHINB FOB. ATTACHING POSTAGE STAMPS T0 ENVEL'QBES.

10.51.7340, Patented Apr. s, '1894.

(No Model.) 3` Sheets-Sheet 3.

o. ELI-0Tl MACHINE FOR ATTACHING-POSTAGE STAMPS T0 ENVELOPES.

1\I0.517,74o'. `v Patented Apf.s,1894.

` -pliance of the machine revolved or lever den reel to the front slot.

ing to a slot E through the front of the case.

v UNrrnDSraTns crtoYDoN,ENGLAND.`

MACHINE For ATTACHING POSTAGE-STAMPS'TO ENvpELoPEs.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512740, dated April 3, 1894.

Application led May 11, 1893. Serial No. 473,768. (No modelo Patented in England January '7, 1892, No. 352| To a/ZZ whom` it may concern: Be it known that I, OHARLns ELLIOT, a sublject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Chesterfield, Waddon Old. Road, Croydon, 1n the county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new 'and useful Improve# ments `in Machines for Attaching Postage- Stamps to Envelopes, Circulars, Iand the Like, (patented in Great Britain, No.v 352, bearing date 7th January, 1892,) of which thefollowing 1s a specification. A

The' object of my invention is Vto provide means for issuing, ,detaching from bulk, wetting and aflixing postage stamps to letters, clrculars `and the like by mechanism contained 1n a suitable case, andactuatedfrom the outside by means of a handle, lever," or othermeans so that thearticles to be stamped are simply placed in position upon4 a small table attached to the case and the outside apg pressed which actu'atesl the mechanism with? in for the purpose above described.

My 1nvention is illustrated by the .annexed drawings, in`which v A' l VFigure I is a sectional view showing a side elevationl of the mechanism in its normal position; Flg. II a similar view with the mechanism 1n the position occupied after the issue o f a stamp and of its moistening by the wetting roller Fig. III, a front elevation of ma. chine showing the stamp severing appliance; Fig. IV, perspective elevation'of the stamp guldes andY springs forpreventing the strip of stamps buckling' while moving from the TQ Carry my invention into effect I provide a sultablecase A which contains a reel or spool B upon which the stamps are wound. For this purpose the postage stamps are either printed 1n strlps of any length required or the stamps may be torn from the sheet in the longest length and such length just attached to another by leaving a small piece of the margin and sticklng it` to the end stamp of the next length and so on until a sufficient quantity 1s 1n one length, and the length is then wound upon the spool the free end being carried over a plate C with guides D. D. atthe sides lead- Above the plate over which the stamps pass -turnable by a Ispring K.

is affixed in suitable bearings a segmental able material G, the feeder being set to press upon the strip of stamps sufficiently to force them forward in succession when revolved, the segment ybeing made of the exact size to push one stampforward only.

The handle'H outside the case A is connected to aspindle I on which the segmental feeder is fixed, the spindleof the handle also carries camsJ, K for the following purposes: one J to actuate a rod L which is placed Vertically in guides M over the positionl where the stamp is projected. This rod carries a block N having its lower end about the size of a stamp and the'cam or crank J is arranged tov allow this rod and block to fall and to raise 'it'fonce at each revolution of ythe handle; an-

otherr cam or crank K actuates a knife K which knife through the intermediation of the leverV K is made to work between the lfront of the case and the vertical rod and block or presser N and is arranged so that it is moved j ust in advance of the block Nas to cut off the stamp Aimmediately before the lblock or presser descends.` The knife is re- The block or presser when at rest is just above the opening or slot E in the front of the case so that the stamp has a support while being wetted from ythe under side. The wetting is eiected by a roller P covered with felt or other aby sorbent material which when at rest is within the case arranged under the plate C over which the stamps pass and Vso arranged that the lowerjpart is just dipping in a trough of water Q. The roller is actuated by a forked lever R which carries its spindle and this forked lever is in turn worked by a third cam or crank S pressing against the lever S the lower end of which is slotted for actuating the lever R, the lever S being mounted in suchamanner that the damping rollerP is projected out under the stamp issued and. wets it. roller P is drawn in again by the spring P before the knife and presser come down.

Just below the opening through which the damper is projected is a table T attached to the case VA upon which. the letter or the like to be stamped is placed. It will thus be understood that if a letter toy be stamped is placed upon the table T and the handle Hat The I feeder F covered with rubber or other suit-A IOO the side of the machine revolved once the folf lowing action takes place. First, the stamp 1s projected through the slot in the front of the case, second the damper P is brought up under the stamp and withdrawn again, third the knife K comes down and detaches the .stamp from the strip and immediately followlng the presser N drops forpressingthe stamp upon the envelope.

To insure the strip of stamps being issued without buckling or returning I arrange a light spring U at the back of the plate C and from one of the guide ribs D I carryacurved spring V. These springs have a combined action to keep the strip firmly down upon the plate C and retard the outward movement of the strip so that the rubber covered cam has a good purchase upon a fiat surface of the strip for moving it along.

Should it be found that the dipping of the roller P into the Water trough Q caused the roller to be overcharged afringe of lamp cotton W or other thread may be suspended in the trough from which the roller can take its supply and any indexing apparatus can be iitted to register the issue of the stamp.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for attaching postage stamps, the combination of acasing provided with a slot, a reel or spool on which the stamps are Wound, a plate arranged between the spool and slot and provided with guides for the stamps, and a rotary shaft provided with a segmental feeder adapted to bear on one of the stamps on said plate and feed it toward and through the slot in the casing, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for attaching postage stamps, the combination of a reel or spool on which a continuous strip of stamps is Wound,

a guide plate for supporting the stamps as the strip is fed from the spool, means for applying moisture to the under side of astamp after it has passed over the guide plate, a knife for cutting off the moistened stamp, a presser for pressing the stamp onto a letter or package, and a rotary shaft carrying a seg mental feeder to feed the strip of stamps and also carrying cams to actuate the cutting and pressing devices, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for attaching postage stamps, the combination of a casing provided with a slot for exit of stamps, a table located on the outside of the easing to receive the letter or package to be stamped, aspool located in the casing and on which the stamps are Wound in a continuous strip, a plate located between the said spool and the slot in the casing and provided with guides for the stamps, springs to bear on the strip of stamps and prevent buckling, a wetting roller for applying moisture to the under side of a stamp projected through the slot in the casing, a knife for cutting off the moistened stamp, a presser for pressing the stamp onto a letter or package, levers for actuating the wetting roller, the knife and the presser, a rotary shaft provided with cams to actuate said levers, and a segmental feeder mounted on said shaft to feed the strip of stamps one at a time, substantially' as described.

In witness whereof I have hereto signed my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of October, 1892.

CHARLES ELLIOT.

Witnesses:

FREDK. J. NAYLOR, 140 Lcadcnhall Street, London, Notar y Public.

ALEX. CEMT RIDGWAY, 19 Change Alley, E. O., Law Student. 

